Posted by CareBear04 on February 2, 2005, at 11:21:02
In reply to low-dose LITHIUM - what to combine it with?????, posted by bipolarspectrum on January 31, 2005, at 12:01:25
hi there,
i'm currently on lamictal and lithium. i had to take a hiatus for a few months from lithium. while i was on lamictal alone, like you, i had hypomanic states, one after another. lithium makes me feel safe, but i need levels between 0,8 and 1.2. lamictal gives me a greater range of mood, but since it doesn't prevent the highs, i was always afraid that the floor could drop out at any minute.as for what to combine lithium with-- zoloft or prozac work well for me. i think you said you don't like SSRIs, and for the most part, neither do i. lexapro and paxil nearly killed me. it might be worth a try to keep lamictal on with the lithium. i'm lowering my lamictal a bit now, but i have hope that with lithium on board, the mood swings from lamictal will be controlled without losing the mood lifting property that the lamictal provides. i take stimulants like adderall or ritalin for ADHD-type symptoms and for energy, but one problem with these is that lithium counteracts adderall maybe by inhibiting some of the dopamine release. wellbutrin with lithium wasn't that effective for me unless i went up to 450mg. one suggestion that i don't think was mentioned yet is effexor. i was on effexor and lithium together, but i think the combo plus klonopin and risperdal dulled me down too much. i blame most of it on the risperdal. i think effexor + lithium is worth trying, especially since effexor hits both serotonin and norepinephrine like some of the TCAs but without as many side effects. good luck!
poster:CareBear04
thread:450559
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050202/msgs/451699.html